Personal trainer Kristjan-Johannes Konsap
Personal trainer Kristjan-Johannes Konsap has been doing strength training for 20 years and working as a trainer for 14 years. Konsap’s message is practical: training has to fit real life, not just ideal weekly plans.
The personal trainer who came from bodybuilding
Kristjan-Johannes Konsap was born in 1989. Konsap came to coaching by way of a competitive career of their own. In 2006, under the guidance of Ott Kiivikas, Konsap competed in bodybuilding for the first time. After that, friends and training partners started asking for advice on strength training and nutrition.
In 2010, Konsap earned trainer qualifications and started working as a part-time personal trainer. In 2015, the job at MyFitness became full-time, and by 2016 Konsap was already one of the most in-demand personal trainers there. As of 2024, Konsap has 20 years of strength training experience and 14 years of coaching experience.
Konsap has competed in 14 bodybuilding competitions and two powerlifting competitions. According to Konsap, that experience isn’t just about medals or physique photos. It helps in understanding what works in real life and what stays purely theoretical.
What does a personal trainer mean to Konsap?
For Konsap, a good trainer is not someone who pushes the same program on everyone. The average recreational exerciser doesn’t live like an elite athlete. They have a job, a family, sleep, stress and sometimes just plain ordinary tiredness. A simple truth: the program has to fit into the person’s life, otherwise it won’t last.
The ideal trainer relies on generally accepted principles but stays flexible. Good communication skills, personal athletic experience and the ability to see a person as a whole all help. Konsap also says plainly that trainers are made, not born. Natural communication skills help, but they can be developed too.
Konsap’s own education began at Gustav Adolf Grammar School. At Tallinn University, Konsap graduated in advertising and imagology. In 2010, Konsap received the gym trainer qualification from the Estonian Olympic Committee and the Estonian Bodybuilding and Fitness Federation. Further courses have since been added in sports psychology, all-round training, interpreting blood test results and injury prevention.
Training, motivation and real life
Honestly, Konsap’s view of training is fairly sober. Motivation isn’t something you can always count on. Even a trainer can have a day when they just can’t be bothered to work out. That’s when habit, discipline and a simple goal help, such as a set number of workouts per week.
Konsap still does strength training and cardio a couple of times a week, mainly for health reasons. Konsap no longer competes in bodybuilding, so the training program is simpler than it was during competition periods. On trips, Konsap likes hiking and swimming. To relax, Konsap heads to South Estonia, watches movies and plays video games.
Speaking about the average Estonian, Konsap says trainers should help people set realistic goals. If someone has a family, a job and other hobbies, three workouts a week can be a very good result. Not everyone has to live their life around the gym. Training can be like brushing your teeth or taking a shower: something you just do, because you feel better afterwards.
Personal trainer Konsap’s practical recommendations
For a beginner, Konsap recommends starting with consistency. Not a complicated program, not a perfect supplement shelf, but movement. Even just daily walking. Once that’s in place, you can build the next steps on top of it.
When it comes to nutrition, Konsap’s own routine has stayed fairly similar for years. In the morning: an egg, muesli or porridge, and something fresh. At lunch: meat or fish, salad or vegetables, and carbohydrates from rice, buckwheat or potatoes. For a snack: quark or cottage cheese and a piece of fruit. Dinner varies.
Konsap now rarely uses supplements, since the competition period is behind. It’s a good reminder: most of your shape still comes from consistent training, sensible eating and recovery.
Konsap gives personal training sessions in Tallinn, at the Fitness.ee boutique gym at Väike-Ameerika 19. In addition, Konsap advises people online, offers training and nutrition programs, and gives talks at companies on healthy living.
Website: Personal trainer Kristjan-Johannes Konsap
Instagram: @personaaltreener.konsap
Facebook: Personal trainer Kristjan-Johannes Konsap
FAQ: personal trainer and training
Is a personal trainer only for beginners?
No. A beginner can get help with technique and building a routine, but an experienced exerciser may need a fresh pair of eyes, better management of training load or support in refining their goal.
How many times a week should you work out?
It depends on your goal and your lifestyle. For many recreational exercisers, two to three solid workouts a week is a realistic and effective start.
What is the most important step for a beginner?
Consistency. Start with movement you can actually repeat. Walking, a simple strength workout and steady sleep will give you more than one perfect week a month.
Author:Turg.Fitness.ee
Header photo: Jüri Kartul
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